1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to devices designed to hold or store personal objects suspended from a hook or rod. More particularly, this invention relates to a device for storing a racket, such as a tennis racket, and related equipment, such as balls or containers of balls, suspended from a hook or rod.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Prior devices for suspending wearing apparel have been known in the art. In particular, U.S. Pat. No. 2,598,315, issued to Arthur Sweet, discloses a modified coat hanger designed to suspend ties. This tie rack, when suspended from a hook along the side of a closet, maintains the tie supporting portion away from the wall for easy access. In another related suspension device, U.S. Pat. No. 2,078,613, issued to James Sieber, there is provided an extension of the traditional coat hanger. A basket is attached to the lower portion of the coat hanger by suspending bars, and within the frame formed by the coat hanger and the suspending bars there are provided a plurality of hooks. In yet another improvement in the art, U.S. Pat. No. 4,422,556, issued to J. T. Moore, a wire basket receptacle is suspended by a wire frame on supporting protrusions therefrom and further provides hooks projecting underneath for hanging clothes.
The storage of rackets and balls from tennis or raquetball has long posed a problem. The rackets do not stand up neatly against a wall and balls, even if in containers, tend to roll about. As a result, storage of these items has been difficult. No devices for suspending and storing both rackets and balls are known to Applicant. In the tennis racket art, patents have been issued for other storage devices for storing tennis balls on tennis rackets. More particularly, in the U.S. Pat. No. 4,002,337, issued to Donald Rayfield, a device is provided for supporting a ball container from a tennis racket handle. There a wrap-around member surrounds a can of tennis balls and proceeds to wrap around the handle of the tennis racket, and finally is secured to itself to hold the can firmly to the tennis racket handle. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,007,930, issued to Albert Straus, a tennis racket clamp or racket press is provided which also includes an enclosure receptacle for tennis balls.
In contrast to the above, in the preferred embodiment of the present invention, there is provided means for suspending tennis, raquetball, or badminton rackets and balls or containers of balls or shuttlecocks in convenient proximity. This is accomplished by generally providing a suspension member having projecting on one side thereof a loop member through which the racket handles, projecting in a downwardly direction, are placed and on which the racket head is supported. On the other side of the suspension member, there is generally provided a combined encompassing enclosure member and an attached support member for supporting and holding balls or containers.